Jazz at your Library

We’ve been quite focused on National Poetry Month here at the Library as Incubator Project, but on this last day of April we wanted to make note of the fact that April was also Jazz Appreciation Month. Today is the first annual International Jazz Day, and what better day to celebrate all the creative ways to celebrate jazz at the library — not just in April, but all year round!

We’ve rounded up a few programs and booklists to showcase what’s been going on this Jazz Appreciation Month, and to share some possibilities for the rest of the year. We’re hoping to create a larger kit for celebrating jazz at the library for next year — so please, feel free to share your ideas, programs, and favorite jazz books!

Programs

The DC Public Library had an April packed full of jazz programming, including a jazz elements GarageBand workshop for teens, concerts, jazzy storytimes, and open mic poetry set to jazz music. See their full list of programs for inspiration.

Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and his Orchestra, by Andrea Davis Pinkney. Illustrated by Brian Pinkney

The Smithsonian Folkways Jazz Education site is great for teens and interested adults. The Jazz Mixer allows users to play with levels and explore different instruments, and the interactive timeline and map offer a wealth of information.

The Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC) creates booklists and book reviews for librarians and educators. Below is a selection of their recommended books about jazz for kids. Obviously, the list doesn’t end here, but these titles create a great start.

How did your library celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month? What are you doing for International Jazz Day? Please, tell us! As mentioned above, we’d love to collect more programs and ideas for an extensive list of ways to celebrate jazz at your library. Contact us by email, in the comments, or on Facebook or Twitter!